AMI ORTIZ UPDATE MAY 22, 2008          

We thank so many of you who have written and asked to be updated on Ami's condition as you want to continue to lift him up before the throne of God.  We can't tell you how grateful we are that the momentum is continuing, as we are facing new challenges every day.  However, we are greatly encouraged by the outpouring of love from all over the world, and Ami is daily encouraged as well. We thank Yeshua for moving your hearts to convey His encouragement to our family.   

We moved into the Tel HaShomer Children's hospital two weeks ago, which is a rehabilitation facility and one of the best in the country.  Ami has a strenuous schedule which includes Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, School studies, Computer lessons, and training in an exercise center.  All of this has really strengthened him, and along with renewed appetite, he's looking more and more like "Ami". 

However, there are many struggles as well.  Interspersed between all of his activities have been visits to specialists.  The first specialists to see him were the ENT doctors (Ear, Nose and Throat).  We found out that Ami's right ear drum is almost completely blown out and the left ear drum has significant damage.  The first doctor told us that he will need skin grafts in both ears which includes a recovery period of 3 to 6 weeks on each ear.  However, yesterday we visited a second specialist who specializes in ear injuries from terror attacks.  She had better news – she said there was a 90% chance that the ear drums would close up themselves – heal by themselves.  She said that Ami is young, and she's seen it happen many times.  Even after the first doctor's assessment, I had faith that the Lord would close up those ear drums!!  His next appointment will be in 3 months.  The doctor said it might take a year for them to heal naturally, but if there is no improvement in 3 months, they will schedule the operations. PLEASE PRAY FOR THE EAR DRUMS TO BE HEALED.  Ami's hearing has been significantly affected as a result of this injury.

Ami was sent to an Eye Specialist as well.  He said that there are still many pieces of metal in Ami's eyes, and it is better if they don't come out, but stay in as it could cause problems if they come out.  He also said that the eyes were not seeing 20/20 and he might need glasses.  PLEASE PRAY FOR THE LORD TO DISSOLVE THE METAL IN HIS EYES, AND FOR THE HEALING OF HIS EYES TO CONTINUE UNTIL 20/20 VISION.

Ami has also had significant burn wounds and subsequent scarring all over his body – also scars where large pieces of shrapnel were removed.  His body also has the tendency to scar quickly and for the scars to build up rapidly.  Therefore, pressure bandages have been made for him.  They are like thick support stockings.  The upper body "suit" covers his whole upper body including his neck.  It is very difficult to get used to, and he's been told that he has to wear them 23 hours a day for one to two years!!  The lower body suit is being prepared now.  All of this is emotionally and mentally hard for Ami to adjust to as well as physically rigorous.  PLEASE PRAY THAT THE SCARS WOULD HEAL QUICKLY, AND THAT AMI WOULD BE ABLE TO ADJUST TO THESE BANDAGES.

Ami was also seen by a plastic surgeon, who has ordered x-rays to be done on his hands and feet, as he has extreme sensitivity especially in his left palm, and in the toes that were amputated.  He thinks there is shrapnel embedded that might be painful to him, in which case they will surgically remove them.  Ami has over 100 pieces of shrapnel in his body.  Many of them will be expelled by his body naturally.  One day, two groups of believers came to visit us and I asked them to pray for the shrapnel to be expelled quickly.  That night Ami said – I feel all the pieces of metal moving!  He was in pain and we had to give him Tylenol!! We need to be careful what we ask from the Lord!! 

I am praying for Ami's healing to happen quicker than anyone can imagine.  I believe that with prayer and Yeshua's healing power, everything is possible.

Tomorrow, Friday March 23^rd, will be a special prayer meeting in our congregation in Ariel.  Messianic leaders from all over Israel will be gathering for a time of fasting and prayer for Ami and the situations surrounding the attack, from 10am to 2PM Israel time.  Even this week, in a town called Or Yehuda, the deputy mayor along with local rabbis stirred up the religious youth to go door to door and gather New Testaments that had been distributed by believers a few weeks before.  They then burned the New Testaments.  This is a very serious development, because even in Nazi Germany, Jewish prayer books were burned in the early years before the Holocaust began.  We would urge you to denounce this act to the Israeli Embassy in your area, and also to ask why the perpetrators of the Purim Package bombing have not yet been apprehended.

Thank you again for your prayer, love and support.

 In the Messiah, 

Leah Ortiz